How to reduce the probability of trademark oppositions
Neither you nor your IP attorney can predict with absolute certainty how third parties may feel about your particular trademark. Keep in mind we are not talking about the review of your application by the USPTO trademark examining attorney. Even if the examining attorney believes your mark is allowable, there is no assurance that other trademark owners would feel the same. You cannot control the actions of others, but is there anything you can do to avoid a trademark opposition?
By planning ahead and taking certainly precautionary steps before filing your trademark application, you can reduce the likelihood of others opposing your trademark application.
How to choose a safer trademark to avoid oppositions
No trademark lawyer can guarantee 100% success in registering a particular trademark. Even when a company has obtained prior registrations for similar marks, a new application for the same mark on different goods or services may still get rejected. So the goal is not choosing a perfectly safe trademark, but a safer mark with fewer risks of rejection.
To begin, the two most common trademark rejections are likelihood of confusion and mere descriptiveness. It is critical to understand these risks upfront. Awareness of these potential obstacles can help you navigate around them to reduce the probability of trademark oppositions.
Selecting a mark that is not merely descriptive would involve avoiding words that tell consumers something about the product such as a feature, quality, characteristic, ingredient, etc. These words may be found in the English dictionary or be intentionally misspelled. The issue is whether a consumer could tell that the mark when viewed in connection with your goods or services is conveying information about the product.
Where the line gets blurry is when a mark is suggestive. A suggestive mark suggests a quality or chararacteristic of the goods or services without being merely descriptive. They imply something about the product without explaining it. Suggestive marks are desirable from both a trademark and business perspective. The USPTO ought not refuse suggestive marks on the basis of mere descriptiveness. Of course, what the USPTO is supposed to do and what trademark examining attorneys actually do are not always consistent.
How to reduce the likelihood of confusion with other trademarks
Likelihood of confusion is not the same as actual confusion. It is a hypothetical question: How likely would consumers be confused into thinking that your goods or services originate from the same source as that of another trademark?
To lower the risk of an opposition, have a knockout search conducted before choosing a mark to apply for. In the end, you still might not be able to prevent a trademark opposition by an aggressive brand owner, but you can at least diminish their arguments on how your mark is confusingly similar to theirs.
How to choose safer goods and services to prevent a trademark opposition
Besides the mark itself, you and your IP attorney should carefully draft the identification of goods and services. Most importantly, you want to avoid overlap with any goods or services of previously filed or registered trademarks that might be somewhat similar to yours.
This is a delicate task that involves careful deliberation and strategy. Keep in mind that even if the USPTO allows your application, the owners of the other (allegedly) similar trademarks might still take issue with your mark. So you want to craft a description of goods and services that minimizes the risk of opposition.
How to respond to a trademark opposition
Even with your best efforts and intentions, you might not be able to avoid an opposition. If you find yourself on the receiving end of a TTAB Notice of Opposition, consider a cost-effective plan for defending the opposition.
Email trademark opposition attorney Vic Lin at vlin@icaplaw.com or call (949) 223-9623 to explore how we can help you defend or avoid a trademark opposition.
